Beauty on a Budget: Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Primer Review

If you’re by chance starting off your New Year with a resolution of not buying makeup or perhaps buying makeup but trying to keep your purchases on the cheap you can check out the new Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Primer.

Smashbox Primer users rejoice, it’s basically the same exact formula on the cheap.

Jump!

Now I personally hate it. I’m not a fan of Smashbox Primer, it makes me itchy, it pills, and I’m just not that into it. All the same problems with Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Primer. It’s a thick silicon primer that smooths onto skin filling fine lines, prepping, and priming skin for foundation. My experience is it pills as in it rolls off my face in tiny little balls that quite look like little pieces of skin. It also makes me slightly itchy and feels like I have a mask on. These happen to be all the same reasons I dislike Smashbox Primer so much.

On a happier note anyone who adores Smashbox Primer will think the sun rises and sets on Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Primer as it’s a pretty darn great dupe and the lesser expensive and evils of the two.

Overall, I’d say it’s not for me personally because I’m not a great lover of silicon primers but anyone who simply adores such formulas will think the sun rises and sets on this.

Available now at your local CVS. Happy Day for saving a bit of cash on your primer next time around.

Disclosure: The following item was purchased by me for review purposes (and because I like flinging my money at makeup products of any kind) on Musings of a Muse. For further information please see my FTC Guidelines or my Disclosure/Disclaimer posts.

1/4/10 15:01 Sarah:

Im not a huge fan of the Smashbox primers either. But for the price, I still may give this a try. If I can find a primer I love at a drugstore price, Great!

I really love the Smashbox primer! I have a pores and acne pits that I like to conceal so it is my godsend (we aren’t all blessed with flawless skin like you, Muse!). The only thing is I think the price is crazy. I tried the Revlon primer but its nowhere near as amazing as Smashbox. I’m very interested in trying the Maybelline primer out! Thanks for posting this. I had no idea about it!

awww donna you are TOO kind far from flawless *hugs* If you like Smashbox you’ll love this, it’s about the same formula, if not a little tiny bit thicker. I think you should indulge, you might be pleasantly surprised

My pleasure dear! I knew there were quite a few lovers of Smashbox and when I seen this I was curious, when I got it home I wasn’t impressed but new Smashbox lovers would def LOVE

Happy New Year Muse
Is this the first Maybelline primer released in US? Cos I know in Taiwan you can get a range by them called ‘Whitestay’ and they do several primers in that range, but it may only be for the asian market??
I have been wanting to use primer sometime, what primers do you prefer?

Mmmm good question. I’m not to in the know with US brands but I THINK maybelline has one other. Probably for the Asian Market only especially if it’s anything to do with whitening, I fear the US hasn’t caught the whitening bug as of yet and maybe never. I do know that the quads released were asian releases, from the studio eye line, and are now here in the US.

I don’t use primer much but I do like Urban Decay’s primers and also the moist Beauty Credit primer I like Lavshuca’s primer as well. Anything which whitens and preps I’m normally on it I don’t like silicon primers though mostly like anything moisturizing also like Korres primer!

There is no need for the US to catch the whitening bug. Only Asians (and people in the know like you!!) like to be white. My SO thinks it’s ghastly that I want to whiten, he just doesn’t understand the concept at all!

Unfortunately, none of the brands you have listed is readily available in NZ. But through Asian friends I can probably get my hands on Lavshuca and possibly Beauty Credit. Hmm will see how that one goes…… thanks for that.

marcy no one understands whitening like an Asian girl does. Your SO isn’t the only one that thinks it’s ghastly. My friends and many of my readers think I’m quite insane that’s why I love meeting people like you got that just GET it. It’s strange as most of the US is quite obsessed with a glowing tan but I’ll take white any day It’s rather sad that counter brands and drugstores fail to get it on my side of the world. It’s not very common even among the most costly of cosmetics where as in Asian it easily accepted as part of one’s daily regime to what to keep skin whiter, brighter, and just generally youthful looking because of this element!

You’re most welcome. I’m not too familiar with anything in NZ, brand wise, give me some names and maybe I can rec something from them

Yay someone who understands Muse you’re great unfortunately i am definitely someone with a glowing tan who doesn’t want one. I’m very dark for an East Asian (about NC42 right now) who would much, MUCH rather be somewhere around NC25 and don’t worry, my dad reminds me that on a weekly basis, albeit without the makeup jargon

Most mainstream Western brands are here – Clinique, Dior, Lancome, EL, EA, Clarins, YSL, Guerlain in Duty Free I think, Shiseido (Western line, not Maquillage or the DS side), Chanel, Smashbox, Origins, MAC, Bobbi Brown, Body Shop (is that counter??? I think it’s in between?), L’Occitane (do they do makeup??), La Mer. Stila, NARS, Becca and some ‘smaller’ brands through the odd speciality store. MUFE at one store I just found out about, but at heinous prices! Beauty parlours often stock Jane Iredale. Maybelline, Maxfactor, Loreal, Revlon, Za, Covergirl, Rimmel for the DS. That’s enough brainpower testing for the day. If you have a rec Muse it would be lovely. Or you can set up a store and sell everything you don’t use XD (I think you do that in swaps already though.)

1/11/10 14:26 Bakeneko:

I totally get the pale thing. I’m pretty much ghost-like in complexion and couldn’t get a tan even if I wanted one (which I really don’t haha)

1/11/10 14:45 the Muse:

lol I hear that bakeneko! Hide me away in a closet I HATE the sun!

1/4/10 17:24 MC:

I’ve never tried Smashbox primer…I usually use Benefit That Girl (I know you’re not a fan lol), Nars, or UD’s Skin Brightening primer. I’m sorta willing to try this as a cheaper alternative to all of the above, provided it doesn’t make my face freak out if I use it.

Thank thank thank you – you saved me from hauling something I would hate. I think I have a mild allergy to primers in this formula. I’ve tried many Smashbox, tarte, philosphy, etc i always get these little bumps after a few hours and they go away in about 2 days. My favorite “cone” free drug store primer is revlon age defying instant firming for normal/combo skin. It retails for about $12 but use coupons and bogos. Have you tried it? It has a sister in the siliconey gel formula for “oily” skin. The tubes look very similar. The one i like has a white creamy type formula that actually has a similar finish to the Fresh and Korres ones. I do like some silicone based ones but not the “gel” texture.

I just recently stumbled over your blog, Muse….I LOVE IT! You do a great job of being objective and very informative.

I have been looking for a reasonably priced primer. I was using Dr. Brandt’s but that is kind of pricey so I tried this. I would say that it does just a good a job as the Dr’s. at a MUCH cheaper price, plus it does not smell “funny” like Dr. Brandt’s does.

I have been using maybelline instant age rewind primer and i love it,my skin is so smooth,only problem is i cant find it anymore,did you stop making it because there were a lot of bad reviews??I dont know how people are not happy with it,maby using too much of it,I only use a dab for my entire face,its a Great product at a terrific price.Would you please get back to me..Thank you Barbara South,March6th 2010